The present invention relates to locks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a key and a lock core for a lock.
According to the present disclosure, several embodiments of lock cores are provided to facilitate retracting or extending of a latch bolt and/or deadbolt of a mortise lock, releasing of the shank of a padlock, or unlocking, locking, releasing or other movement of various locks. Additional disclosure of such locks is provided in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/610,639, to Hickman et al., entitled Mortise Lock, U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/635,839, to Strong et al., entitled Lock core, U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,693, to Best et al., entitled Key-Removable Lock Core, U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,001, to Foshee, entitled High Security Lock, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,606, to Russell et al., entitled Electronic Token Lock Core, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. The disclosure of previously filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/718,519, entitled “Key and Core”, filed Sep. 19, 2005, to Strong et al. and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/845,647, entitled “Key and Core”, filed Sep. 19, 2006, to Strong et al. are also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
To unlock such a lock, a user inserts a key into a lock core. The lock core includes a set of pin tumblers (not shown) that verify the accesses rights of the inserted key. If the key includes the proper bitting, the pin tumblers of the lock core will properly align in the lock core to permit operation of the lock. Additional details of key bitting and pin tumblers is provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,424,693; 4,836,001; 5,136,869; and 6,668,606, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein. According to the present disclosure, a secondary system is also provided to verify the access rights of the key.
According to the present invention a lock core and key combination is provided including a lock core including a sleeve defining an interior region and a finger-receiving notch and a core plug positioned in the interior region of the sleeve to permit rotational movement of the core plug relative to the sleeve. The core plug defines a longitudinally extending keyway and a side pin assembly passage. The side pin assembly passage is positioned adjacent to the keyway. The lock core further includes a side pin assembly including a side pin and a separate region pin positioned longitudinally adjacent to the side pin. The side pin assembly is positioned in the side pin assembly passage to move in a longitudinal direction between a first position blocking movement of the core plug relative to the sleeve and a second position permitting movement of the core plug relative to the sleeve. At least a portion of the region pin is positioned in the keyway. The side pin includes a finger positioned substantially in the finger-receiving notch of the sleeve when the side pin assembly is in the first position and positioned substantially out of the finger-receiving notch when the side pin assembly is in the second position. The combination further includes a key including a bow and a key shank coupled to the bow. The key shank includes a profile corresponding to a profile of the keyway, a longitudinally extending groove that corresponds to an exterior profile of the region pin and a shoulder that contacts the region pin upon insertion of the key shank into the keyway to push on the side pin to move the finger of the side pin substantially out of the finger-receiving notch of the sleeve.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a lock core for use with a key is provided. The lock core includes a sleeve defining an interior region and a finger-receiving notch and a core plug positioned in the interior region of the sleeve to permit rotational movement of the core plug relative to the sleeve. The core plug defines a longitudinally extending keyway and a side pin assembly passage. The side pin assembly passage is positioned adjacent to the keyway. The lock core further includes a side pin assembly including a side pin and a region pin positioned adjacent to the side pin. The side pin assembly is positioned in the side pin assembly passage to move in a longitudinal direction between a first position blocking movement of the core plug relative to the sleeve and a second position permitting rotational movement of the core plug relative to the sleeve. At least a portion of the region pin is positioned in the keyway. The side pin includes a body portion, an arm coupled to the body portion, and a finger coupled to the arm and positioned substantially in the finger-receiving notch of the sleeve when the side pin assembly is in the first position and positioned substantially out of the finger-receiving notch of the sleeve when the side pin assembly is in the second position.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of providing a key blank is provided. The method including the steps of providing a key blank for use with at least one of the lock cores of either of the preceding two paragraphs and associating the key blank with at least one of said lock cores.